Ultimate Mets Database - Memories of Jesse Orosco

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Jesse Orosco
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Jesse Orosco
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Memories of
Jesse Orosco

Jesse Orosco
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 65 of 1252 players

Jesse Russell Orosco
Born: April 21, 1957 at Santa Barbara, Cal.
Throws: Left Bats: Right
Height: 6.02 Weight: 185

Jesse Orosco has been the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup 15 times, most recently on April 21, 2024.

First Mets game: April 5, 1979
Last Mets game: October 4, 1987

Winner of National League Pitcher of the Month award, August 1983. (New York Mets)
Winner of National League Player of the Week award, August 7, 1983, August 14, 1983, June 10, 1984. (New York Mets)

Share your memories of Jesse Orosco

HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:

Greg
Jesse Orosco was truly an ace in the bullpen. He may well be the best reliever that the Mets ever had. He seemed invincible against all hitters, especially during the years before the Mets won the World Series in '86. When he was called upon to pitch as a reliever, he almost always pitched brilliantly, rarely giving up a hit, much less a run. When he walked out of the bullpen to attempt to save a game, you sort of had a feeling of great assurance that he was going to do just that. I specifically remember a game, prior to 1986, when he walked a batter, loading the bases, after which he retired the next three batters in order, saving the game. During and after the '86 World Series, he was not as invincible, but was still a competent pitcher and a formidable force against hitters. It is rather unfortunate that he faded from the limelight after the World Series; he was a tremendous asset to the Mets, and instrumental in them winning the World Series.

Paul Zibben
I have two indelible memories of Jesse Orosco. One is Banner Day, 1983, when Orosco won both games of a doubleheader. To me, that double-dip was the start of it all. The other memory is shared by every Met fan my age: Orosco throwing up his glove in celebration - twice - in 1986. When I picture the '86 Champions, that's the image that comes to mind. Memo to Mets brass: Why not give Jesse O. a last hurrah at Shea? He's gotta be better than McElroy.

Jose Otero
When Orosco made that final out in 86, I was 3. I could not stop jumping around the house. Now I'm 17 and I hope he could make the final out in the 2000 Series.

es
I thought he was washed up in '87. Shows what I know.

Mr. Sparkle
The Jess man was probably the best closer they ever had. I'm not going to kill him for giving up that homer in 87. He was awesome. If it weren't for Jesse, we wouldn't have had a championship in 86. He was solid. It's too bad he was traded again. He's my pick for best all time closer.

ETCH 35
July 30, 2001
Was he in World War II? I mean this cat is old!!! What staying power he has. Gotta respect Jesse. I'll never forget the celebration on the mound after game 7.

Mr. Sparkle
August 27, 2001
Think about it, a guy who was traded for Jerry Koosman is still playing ball. That's awesome!

tim harrison
December 31, 2001
Jesse is and will be one of the best relivers of all time no matter what anyone says. I have also met Jesse in person and know him personally. He is also one of the nicest guys I have ever met in that high calibur of sports......

Andy from Rego Park
March 31, 2002
Made the club as a 21-year-old rookie in spring '79, together with a pair of promising young righties, Mike Scott and Neil Allen. Later that season, the Mets brought up another young, hard-throwing reliever named Jeff Reardon. Sometimes its hard to believe they graduated all these guys, plus Mookie, Wally, Hubie, Darryl and Doc in only five seasons. Has anybody noticed that the last impact player developed by the Met farm system was Edgardo Alfonzo in 1995?

Jim Snedeker
April 10, 2002
Just heard that last night (4/9/02), Jesse came in to face Bobby Bonds in a tight situation. Threw three pitches, got 'im to ground out. Heard he ran off the field with his arms raised in victory.
Only 16 years after he threw the last pitch of the last successful Mets' World Series. Go Jesse!

Ted
July 21, 2002
I remember a game in '86. Extra innings. For whatever reason, ejections, something, Orosco wound up playing the outfield for part of an inning. Weird. He seemed to be really enjoying himself, even made a play.

J.D.
September 10, 2002
Best Mets reliever of all time. He was a middleman, set up guy and closer all in one. He would give you 2 plus innings if needed and pitch the next day. Who else would have expected to clinch the LCS and the World Series. Jesse was the best.

Metsmind
December 27, 2002
Actually, Jesse was the 2nd best releiver in Mets history (remember, Tug used to pitch out of a 7th inning jam and then close out the 8th and 9th to get most of HIS saves). How anyone could compare the accomplishments of a lifetime loser like John Franco to either of these lefties is unfathomable.
My favorite memory of Jesse is seeing him at the batting cages on Rockaway Blvd in Cedarhurst on an off day in May 1986. I got into a short conversation with him, and as strong as the Mets were, he humbly said, "We haven't done anything yet." Good perspective.
For those of you who recall-- Jesse singled up the middle in the last at-bat of game 7, after squaring away and pulling the bat back to swing. Goes to show you never know when that extra practice pays off.

Frankie B
December 31, 2002
This is the best reliever the Mets ever had. His year in 1983 was the best I have ever seen by any Mets reliever. He was third for the Cy Young ballot that year and had only 17 saves. The guy was awesome and was clutch. He is the anti-Benitez. Still gets guys out. Should be in Mets Hall Of Fame. That talented.

Mr.Sparkle
April 25, 2003
I'm watching Cheers and Norm is reading the paper and says "Did you see where Orosco hit a home run last night?" and Cliff says "Oh, a relief pitcher!"
Jesse never actually hit a homer but it was cool to hear them talking about him on Cheers.

Steven Gallanter
May 16, 2003
I am 44 years-old and Jesse Orosco is the only player in MLB older than I. (Although who knows how old Julio Franco is? Being born in San Pedro de Macoris usually means that there is no Birth Certificate).
Orosco's greatest asset is he was very similiar to Tug McGraw in that he threw a lefty screwball that broke in on the fists of lefties and gave righties the rare experience of facing a lefty whose pitch tailed AWAY from them.
Jesse Orosco was immune to stacked lineups and pinch hitters. He would stay in games, in his younger days, and thus have higher totals of wins and losses because he would enter games in the middle of innings.
This might be hard for 21st Century fans to grasp but once upon a time relief pitching was a hard job.

Steven Gallanter
July 23, 2003
I am entering this at 3:20 on Wednesday July 23. I just found out that Jesse Orosco has been traded to the Yankees! @#$%^&*!
One of the most indelible memories of my life in Jesse getting the last out in 1986 and throwing his glove into the air.
I saw this at Our House, a bar in the Allston section of Boston!
Our place was packed and evenly divided between "townie" Sox fans and collegiate Mets fans. When the Mets won a previous manager of Our House, Jon Mufson, (Jon, if you read this I wish you well), called me choking back sobs and saying that this was the greatest day of his life other than the birth of his daughter and his wedding day.
Jesse you have irrepairably soiled one of my sweetest memories.

Mr. Sparkle
July 23, 2003
I'm sitting there watching the news this morning and I'm in a pretty good mood since the Mets won last night. Then I hear how Jesse was just traded to the Yankees. What!!!??? I am so totally bummed out! Not the Jess-man, NO!!! Jesse and Tug McGraw are my all time favorite relief pitchers and now Jesse is in the pit of evil. It just isn't right. Steinbrenner again rips out my heart to add the last remaining 86 Met onto their staff. There is no justice in this world.

Keith Niles
July 27, 2003
I love Jesse Orosco. The day the Mets won the World Series, Jesse Orosco threw his glove up to the heavens and jumped up and down and finally landed on his knees, a moment I'll never forget. THAT'S THE WAY I USED TO FEEL ABOUT JESSE OROSCO!!! Now that he's sold his soul to the devil {George Steinbrenner}, my feelings for Jesse have been dramatically damaged.

Bob P
August 8, 2003
Just saw in Jayson Stark's column some tidbits from Christian Ruzich of all-baseball.com about Jesse:
Orosco has been traded three times after the age of 40...to the Mets for Chuck McElroy, from the Mets for Joe McEwing, and now to the Yankees. Only one other player has been traded three times after his 40th birthday: knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm.
Orosco's trade marked the 49th time in baseball history that a player over 40 has been traded.

Mr. Sparkle
August 13, 2003
Not only was he traded for Jerry Kossman, but Jesse and the Kooz were both on the mound during the last out in both 69 and 86 World Series.

Andy from Rego Park
September 3, 2003
With his recent release by the Yankees, it looks like the end of the line for Jesse, closing the books on the active members of the '86 Mets. He broke in in '79, as a 21-year-old rookie, under then Mets' manager Joe Torre and it looks as though he's going out the same way.
Spring Training 1979 yielded Orosco, Mike Scott, Jeff Reardon and Neil Allen. Who'd have believed that Jesse would outlast all of them?
Three things I'll always remember... his striking out Marty Barrett to win it all in '86, gutting out game six of the NLCS against the Astros (he won 3 games in that series, but they gave the MVP to Scott), and his coming of age in '83, when he won 13 games, saved 17, logged a 1.47 ERA and finished 3rd in the NL Cy Young ballotting.

Bob P
October 10, 2003
One more note on Jesse's advancing age from espn.com's Jayson Stark. There are only seven degrees of separation between Jesse and the first days of the National League!!
Orosco was a teammate of Ed Kranepool on the New York Mets in 1979. Kranepool was a teammate of Yogi Berra on the New York Mets in 1965. Yogi was a teammate of Bobo Newsom on the New York Yankees in 1947.
Newsom was a teammate of Firpo Marberry on the 1936 Washington Nationals (Senators). Marberry was a teammate of Walter Johnson on the 1927 Washington Nationals. Johnson was a teammate of Clark Griffith on the 1914 Washington Nationals. Griffith was a teammate of Cap Anson on the 1897 Chicago Colts.
Anson was a member of the original Chicago White Stockings of the National League in 1876.
Take that, Kevin Bacon!

Mark Corrao
December 23, 2005
Is an all time fan favorite like Mookie. Came up on some real bad teams and was a shining star. He had a real good curve and decent fastball. I think he was a lone Mets All Star representative one year. I remember him making the highlight reel after the season ended on a local news channel with them playing Carly Simon's "Jesse" song to it. It might have been 1983. I think it was Warner Wolf. Miss you Jesse!

Jamey Bumbalo
November 1, 2006
Jesse was one of the best Mets ever, and over his long career he was one hell of a major leaguer. He will always be the enduring image of the 1986 championship, when he struck out the last batter and threw his glove into the air.

Jonathan Stern
March 31, 2007
A hero of 1986, my family referred to him as Jesse Fiasco throughout 1987. Little did we know that Orosco would last another sixteen years in the bigs - after the Mets got rid of him, of course.
It's interesting to me, as a Mets fan with a soft spot for the Phillies (we'll see how long that lasts), that both of my favorite World Series - '80 and '86 - ended with a flaky reliever (Tug and Jesse) at the bottom of the dogpile after striking out the last batter.

BobR
April 19, 2007
Orosco is part of an eerie connection between the two Mets championships. Jerry Koosman was on the mound for the Mets and retired the last batter of the 1969 World Series. Koos was later traded for Orosco, who retired the last batter of the 1986 World Series for the Mets. I bet you couldn't find another example of that happening in the history of baseball!

Mike DiSciullo
March 5, 2008
Jesse is truly an Ulta-Met...He should have won the MVP in the NLCS and World Series in '86. Without him the Mets would have never won. He is on top 5 all time Mets list.

Joe Figliola
March 13, 2008
I must agree with Mike that Jesse should've won MVP of the 1986 NLCS. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that was the first time a pitcher ever won three games in a NLCS series. Unfortunately, they didn't give out the MVP award for something historical; they gave it for cheating, which is what Mike Scott did.

Menachem G. Jerenberg
March 28, 2008
Scott won the award because he absolutely dominated the Mets (by cheating, of course), to the extent that if they had lost any of the four games he did not pitch in, they knew they would have to face him again and they DID NOT want to do that.

Hank M
July 19, 2008
Jesse definately should have been named Most Valuable Player of the 1986 NLCS. He was the winning pitcher three times in a classic series that his team won. Being able to claim this surely merits MVP honors.
The wins were well deserved, too. In his first two, Jesse allowed only one hit in four shutout innings. The Astros couldn't touch him. He then came through with a heroic effort in the greatest LCS game of all time to clinch the pennant. Bob Murphy considered Jesse's clutch performance in that 16th inning to be the greatest memory he had in his entire career as a Mets' broadcaster. It was a display of courage that the team needed - and got - from Jesse.
One thing that went wrong, though, was the home run by Billy Hatcher in the 14th. This negated a save for Jesse before getting that third win. I like to believe that Jesse would have won the award if that hadn't happened. His final numbers for the series would have looked more impressive. Still, Jesse should have been MVP because it was he, not Mike Scott, who pitched his team to ultimate victory.

M.Orosco
November 30, 2008
Growing up with a famous pitcher like Jesse was surreal. He used to pitch softball in elementary school. We knew already he was made to play baseball. His dad would be proud.